Freedom, Religion and me
Freedom, Religion and me
Writing this while on the way to Jakarta. I’ve meeting with consultant tomorrow. Garuda flight GA 323 is at 4.00pm and should be reaching Jakarta by 5.20pm
As usual I try to strike conversation with the driver to kill time between hotel to the airport. The usual questions, how long he’s been working with the hotel? Is he happy working with the hotel and such trivial questions …
Having worked with the hotel the last 13 years, he’s thankful for having a stable job even though his take home salary is not much to support his growing family. With salary increments between 1 – 2% per year, he’s making the best of it I guess. I guess he can’t complain too much as others are worst condition than him out there.
Conversation moved on to how we Malaysians are blessed with better economy and better governance. I explained to him that in certain areas Indonesia is better than Malaysia.
He can’t belief his ears when I told him that corruption rate is Malaysia is still a problem. When you see a policeman stops a motorist by the roadside you’ll make an immediate assumption that the giving and taking of bribe is in process!
He can’t belief his ears either when I told him that in Malaysia there is no freedom of religion. How could a prosperous country like Malaysia has such a problem? He could not fathom such issues exist in Malaysia.
When I told him that if a Chinese or Indian or any other races in Malaysian who wishes to embrace Islam, they are welcomed with open arms but the same cannot be said if anyone wishes to denounce Islam and convert to other religion. His immediate reaction is “Not Fair!” Getting such reaction from a Muslim is equally sickening when I reflect the state what our country is imposing it’s will upon it’s people.
Why can’t Malaysia be like it’s neighbor Indonesia when it comes to freedom of religion? In Indonesia, a father and mother can be practicing their respective religion be it Islam or Christianity but when they have children, they’ll need to declare what religion the child will be allowed to follow. They’ll need to sign a document confirming that both party agrees the child either follow the father’s or the mother's religion. When the said child grows up and comes to age, i.e when he or she turns 17 years old, he or she can choose whatever religion he or she wants to practice.
Will I ever see in my lifetime Malaysia allows it’s rakyat to embrace and practices whatever religion they wish to? Can we see the abolishment of “Automatic Conversion” of religion when a child is born in a Malay family? Can we see a Malay openly declare that he is a Buddhist or Hindu or Christian or a Free Thinker?
There are cases where Malays wanted to embrace different religion in Malaysia but the authority refuse to allow such conversion. One fine example is the case of Lina Joy. Lina Joy took the authority to court, challenging them to allow her to practise her choice of religion and change the status of her religion from Islam to Christian. Obviously she lost her case and she moved out of Malaysia.
Rusty says: No one is pure. Everyone is a sinner. Let each them find their own God.
Writing this while on the way to Jakarta. I’ve meeting with consultant tomorrow. Garuda flight GA 323 is at 4.00pm and should be reaching Jakarta by 5.20pm
As usual I try to strike conversation with the driver to kill time between hotel to the airport. The usual questions, how long he’s been working with the hotel? Is he happy working with the hotel and such trivial questions …
Having worked with the hotel the last 13 years, he’s thankful for having a stable job even though his take home salary is not much to support his growing family. With salary increments between 1 – 2% per year, he’s making the best of it I guess. I guess he can’t complain too much as others are worst condition than him out there.
Conversation moved on to how we Malaysians are blessed with better economy and better governance. I explained to him that in certain areas Indonesia is better than Malaysia.
He can’t belief his ears when I told him that corruption rate is Malaysia is still a problem. When you see a policeman stops a motorist by the roadside you’ll make an immediate assumption that the giving and taking of bribe is in process!
He can’t belief his ears either when I told him that in Malaysia there is no freedom of religion. How could a prosperous country like Malaysia has such a problem? He could not fathom such issues exist in Malaysia.
When I told him that if a Chinese or Indian or any other races in Malaysian who wishes to embrace Islam, they are welcomed with open arms but the same cannot be said if anyone wishes to denounce Islam and convert to other religion. His immediate reaction is “Not Fair!” Getting such reaction from a Muslim is equally sickening when I reflect the state what our country is imposing it’s will upon it’s people.
Why can’t Malaysia be like it’s neighbor Indonesia when it comes to freedom of religion? In Indonesia, a father and mother can be practicing their respective religion be it Islam or Christianity but when they have children, they’ll need to declare what religion the child will be allowed to follow. They’ll need to sign a document confirming that both party agrees the child either follow the father’s or the mother's religion. When the said child grows up and comes to age, i.e when he or she turns 17 years old, he or she can choose whatever religion he or she wants to practice.
Will I ever see in my lifetime Malaysia allows it’s rakyat to embrace and practices whatever religion they wish to? Can we see the abolishment of “Automatic Conversion” of religion when a child is born in a Malay family? Can we see a Malay openly declare that he is a Buddhist or Hindu or Christian or a Free Thinker?
There are cases where Malays wanted to embrace different religion in Malaysia but the authority refuse to allow such conversion. One fine example is the case of Lina Joy. Lina Joy took the authority to court, challenging them to allow her to practise her choice of religion and change the status of her religion from Islam to Christian. Obviously she lost her case and she moved out of Malaysia.
Rusty says: No one is pure. Everyone is a sinner. Let each them find their own God.
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